Social Security Investigation Scam: SSN Suspension and Suspicious Activities

And, although your caller ID often shows the real SSA phone number (1-800-772-1213) when these scammers call – but they’re faking or spoofing that number. It’s not the real SSA calling.

This is what you should know:

• Your Social Security number is not about to be suspended. You don’t have to verify your number to anyone who calls out of the blue. And your bank accounts are not about to be seized.
• SSA will never call to threaten your benefits or tell you to wire money, send cash, or put money on gift cards. Anyone who tells you to do those things is a scammer. Every time.
• The real SSA number is 1-800-772-1213, but scammers are putting that number in the caller ID. If you’re worried about what the caller says, hang up and call 1-800-772-1213 to speak to the real SSA. Even if the wait time is long, confirm with the real SSA before responding to one of these calls.
• Never give any part of your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Or your bank account or credit card number.
• If you get one of these calls, tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.